Tobacco manipulating machine



Dec. 3, 1940. F. F. RUAU TOBACCO MANIPULATING MACHINE Filed Nov'. ze, 1957 Patented Dec. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE TOBACCO BMNHULATIN G MACHINE Flix Frdric man, Deptford, Lonamnnglana, assigner to Molins Machine Company Limited,

London, England Application November 26, 1937,seria1'No..17s,73o

In Great Britain December 1l, 1936 i 8` Claims.

. This-invention is for improvements in or relating to tobacco manipulating machines in which a continuous tobacco filler rod is formed, such for example as -continuous rod cigarette making machines or tobacco packaging machines in which a continuous tobacco filler rod is formed, but in which such filler rod is of a larger cross-section than'in the case of a ller rod` of a continuous rod cigarette making machine, and this larger' filler rod is severed into `sections or lengths for subsequently inserting into packages.

The present invention is for an improvement in or modification of the arrangement described and claimed in the co-pending application which is now United StatesPatent No. 2,149,924, granted March 7, 1939.

Where throughout the specification and claims the term mass is used, it shall mean weight per unit length considered axially of the filler rod or the tobacco fed, and the term desired mass shall be taken to mean the weight, or substantiallyvthe Weight per unit length which it is desired that the continuous tobacco ller rod shall have.

The term forwardly when used hereinafter in "connection with direction refers to the gen- 'eral vdirection of movement of the tobacco filler rod or the tobacco stream or the tobacco fed to the filler rod.

The expression continuous tobacco filler rod when used herein and in the appended claims means a rod-'likev stream of tobacco of a crosssection comparable with that included within a wrapper (for example, the paper wrapper of a cigarette) which is finally to contain the filler rod, vwhich rod-like stream is continuously moved axiallyl'of itself, and the expression is not -to be taken as limited toV a ller rod of any given length or even to the iinal iiller rod which is severed into sections, since the ller rod after being formed in accordance with the present inventonmay be subjected to further treatment, -which further treatment forms no part of the present invention, nor is the expression to be 'taken to include a tobacco carpet which is formed in a hopper and then fed (e. g., picked and showered) therefrom preparatory to commencing the'formation'of the filler rod.

According to the present invention there is provided an improvement in or modification of the arrangementclaimed in the co-pending application which is now United States Patent No. 2,149,924, granted March 7,1939, which improve- 'ment for modification -comprises "a continuously movable conveyor device'and an endless'band to:

(crisi- 84) feed tobacco in the same general direction as and tovvards the continuously movable conveyor device, the band and the conveyor device together with guiding elements forming part of a confining passage, said band being' folded tol substantially U fofrmfand arranged' so that the upstanding limbs of the Uprovide moving side walls in the passage. l A part at least of .that surface which comprises a top wall of the conning passage may be movable towardsand away from the, wall opposed thereto for the purpose of relieving excess pressure within the conningpassage. The movable part of the topwall may be pivoted in such manner that thepart thereof which `partakes of the greatest movement is disposed above theconveyor device.v l l The movable part of the top wall of the passage may comprise a` smooth resilient leaf Spring (e. g., a flat spring strip) extending in the direction of movement of the tobacco passing through the confining passage, the element 4being anchored at or adjacent the inlet to the confining passage.

The top wallma'y'comprise a fixed part and a movable part which 'together are arranged normally to forma substantially continuous Wall of the confining passage, said movable part being atleast partly disposed above theendless band and means (e, g., an abutment on the fixed part) provided to determine the normal position of the movable partI relatively to the fixed part.

Two embodiments'of the invention will be described by Way-'of example with reference to the `accompanying drawing in which- Figure lis a sectional side elevation of apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco ller rod.

Figure 2 is a plan View of a portion of Figure 1 and is drawn to an enlarged scale, some of the upper structure shown in Figure 1 being omitted.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Figure 1, andis drawn to an enlarged scale.

` Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Figure 1,

and is drawnto an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of a modifled construction.

Like `reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawing.

Tobacco is yshowered or otherwise fed, for example as -a sliver, from a tobacco feeding apparatus of anyfsuitable' form, and the tobacco is delivered on to an l.endless band 6, which band travels along the bottom of a trough l. As shown in the drawing, the tobacco is delivered to the band 6 from a hopper 8 and the trough folds the band 6 so that the' band'assumes a susbtantially engages the tobacco moves in the same direction as that in which the tobacco is moving.

The tobacco is fed forwardly by the endless band Gbeneath a further compression roller It and over a bridge piece II towards a conveyor device i2 which in the form illustratedin the drawing comprises a continuous web of paper having a substantially smooth surface. An endless conveyor tape I3 is provided toY supportV the l receives a sufiicient quantity. of tobacco to formv a tobacco filler rod of the desired mass, but the tobacco is arranged on the endless band6 in a manner such that before the tobacco enters the confining passage it is at all points `or at substantially all points alongthe length of the endless band 6, ,below` theV desired mass. The endless band 6 moves continuously and ata linear speed which is greater than the linear speed at which f the paper web I2 and the tape I3 are moving. l For example, the endless band 6 is moved at a speed which is 20% greater than thespeed at which the paper web I2 rmoves so 'that the tobacco moved into the confining passage by the endless band 6 is compacted within the confining passage until the tobacco acquires thel desired mass. This operation is fully described in the' copen'ding application which is now. United States Patent No. 2,149,924 above referred to.

The wall I6 of the confining passage lcomprises a bar which extends over both the continuous paper web I2 and the endless band 6, the bar being held in a fixed position but is sovarranged as to be adjustable relatively to the web I2 andband 6 if desired. 5 l

The under surface of the bar I 6 may if desired comprise thevtop wall of the confining passage and the sides of 'the bar are arranged to extend upwardly away vfrom the topwall of the passage. The width of the bar I6 is such that the upstanding limbs of the U formed by the endless band 6 touch, or almost touch, the upwardly extending sides ofthe bar I 6 as shown in Figure 4.

It will be seen, therefore, that the upstanding limbs of theendless band 6 form-moving side walls inthe confining passage, and that the base of the U comprises a part of the bottom wall of the confining passage. v

The endless band 6 is so arranged that the U vformation is maintained for as great a distance as possible within the confining passage, and as can be seen from Figures. 1 and 2 the band only `flattens out just prior to the band passing over the guide roller I?.l By this means the tobacco conveyed by the endless bandG is gripped thereby for as long a time as possible, and vis more positively fed into the conning passage than would be the case if the sidesof theband were not'folded upwardly tof U form. Further, by arranging that the upstanding limbs of the band 6 form part of the side walls of the confining passage, a part at least of three of the walls of the passage thereof (namely, the bottom and side walls) are arranged to move at the saine speed as that at which the tobacco is moved'into the passage. Y n

Above the paper web I2 there is provided a roller I8 having a concave periphery4 and the roller I8 is moved in the direction indicated in Figure 1 with a peripheral speed which is equal to the linear `speed of the paper web I2 soas to facilitate the Vforward movement of the stream of tobacco as vit issues fromthe confining passage.V The concave! periphery of the roller I8is arranged partly to shape the stream of tobacco on the surface of Athe paper web I2.

By reference to Figure 1 it will be observed that the top wall of the confining passage comprises a small part of the under surface of the bar I6 i ance 20 is provided between the upper surface of the fiat strip and the vunder surface of the guide i6. The purpose of the spring strip I9 and the clearance 26 is to provide means whereby if Y there should bean excess of tobacco inthe con,v

lining passage, which excess of tobacco tends to jam inthe passage, the spring strip I9 will move away from the bottom wall of the confining passage, thus permitting the tobacco to be fed through rthe passage more easily. ,It will be appreciated that once the tobacco rarrivesat the position such that it is gripped between the roller I8 andthe paper web I2 it will,funless the tobacco is extremely tightly packed, pass between l the roller I8 and the paper web and thereby move out of the confining passage. As the pressure is reduced in the confining passage the lspring strip I9 will assume its normal position. `I'he thickness of the spring strip I9 is so chosen that at the normal pressure to be expected withinthe conning passage the strip is not fiex'ed but as` sumes a position which is substanti-ally'par'allel .f

to the opposed Wall of the confining passage.

In Figure, 5 there is illustrated an alternative'` construction in which instead of the use of a webA I2 and which is pivoted so as to 'bemovable l towards and away from -the paper web. The movable part 22 is normally retained in position by gravity, and, together with. the fixed part 2| forms a substantially continuous top wall for the confiningpassage. The fixed part'ZI is provided with an abutment 23 which determines the `normal position of the movable part-22 relatively to the fixed part 2I. It will be appreciated that should a jamoccur inl the confining passage shown in Figure 5, the movable partj2'." will be rotated about its pivot in a direction awaffrom the surface of the endless paper web'il thereby relieving the pressure inthe confining passage.-

It will be appreciated that'if desired'the bar I6 may itself comprise thetop wall of the confining passage in the manner described in the' copending application which isA now 'United States 75 Patent No. 2,149,924, in which case there will of course be no provision made for -excess pressure within the confining passage.

It has been found that thetop wall which is opposed tothe endless band 6 and the paper web l2 may be substantially parallel with such surfaces or may be inclined so that it either diverges or converges slightly inthe direction of movement of the tobacco. It has been found that in each of these cases an advantageous result is obtained, but that itis a question of experimenting with the particular kind of tobacco which is being used as to which particular arrangement lshall be used for that kind of tobacco and to what degree, if any, the top wall shall be inclined.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band, to feed tobacco in a stream which is at substantially all points of less than the desired mass, a smooth conveyor receiving the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing the feed of the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a. confining passage to control the cross-sectional area of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a nller of rod-like form is produced at said point, said confining passage including guide elements and the endless conveyor band, said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form, the upstanding limbs of the U formed by the conveyor band forming part of the side walls of said confining passage.

2. .In apparatus for forming a continuous Ito" bacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band, to feed tobacco in a stream which is at substantially all points of less than the desired mass, a smooth conveyor receiving the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing the feed o-f the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a confining passage to control the cross-sectional area of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a filler of rod-like form is produced at said point, said confining passage including guide elements, the endless conveyor band and a top wall, a part at least of which is mounted for movement towards and away from the opposed wall of the confining passage during the operation of the apparatus, said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form, the upstanding limbs of the U formed by the conveyor band forming part of the side walls of said confining passage.

3. In apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band, to feed tobacco in a stream which is at substantially all points of less than the desired mass, a smooth conveyor receiving the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing the feed of the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a confining passage to control the cross-sectional area of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a filler of rod-like form is produced at said point, said confining passage including guide elements, the endless conveyor band and a top guide, the surface of which comprises a top wall a part of which is pivoted so as to be movable towards yand away from the opposed wall of the confining passage, the free end of the movable part being disposed above the smooth conveyor, said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form to provide vmoving side walls in the-passage.

4. In apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band, to feed tobacco in a stream which is at substantially all point-s of less than the desired mass, a smooth conveyor receiving the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing ythe feed of the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a confining passage to control the cross-sectional area of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a filler of rod-like form is produced at said point, said confining passage including guide elements, the endless conveyor band and a top wall a part at least of which comprises a top guide, and a resilient element anchored adjacent the inlet to the passage and extending in the directionof movement of the tobacco passing through the confining passage, the free end of the resilient element being disposedA above the smooth conveyor, said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form to provide moving walls in the passage.

5. In apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band to feed tobacco in a stream which is substantially at all points of less than the desired mass, a smooth conveyor receiving the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing the feed l of the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a confining passage to control the cross-sectional area of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a filler of rod-like form is produced at said point, saidconning passage including guide elements, the endless conveyor band and a top wall a part at least of which comprises a leaf spring anchored adjacent the inlet to the passage and extending in the direction of movement of the tobacco passing through the conning passage, the free end of the leaf spring being disposed above the smooth conveyor, said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form to provide moving walls in the passage.

6,. In apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band to feed tobacco in a stream which is at substantially all points of less than the desired mass, a smooth conveyor receiving the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing the feed of the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a confining passage to control the cross-sectional area of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a filler of rodglike form is produced at said point, said confining passage including guide elements, the endless conveyor band and a top Wall cornprising a fixed part disposed above the conveyor band and a part pivoted for movement towards and away from the opposed wall of the passage, said fixed and movable parts normally forming a substantially continuous wall of the confining passage, and means to determine the normal position of the movable part relatively to the fixed part, said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form to provide movable walls in the passage.

7. In apparatus for forming a continuous tobacco filler rod, an endless conveyor band, to feed tobacco in a stream which is at substantially all points of less than the desired mass, a smooth `conveyor' receiving'the tobacco stream from the conveyor band and continuing thezfeed of the l stream at aless linear-speed, whereby therstre'am is compacted to increase the mass thereof to the desired mass, and a conning. passage to control the cross-sectionalarea of the tobacco at the point at which compacting is effected whereby a ller of rod-like form is produced .at said point,

said confining passage including guide elements,

the'en'dless conveyor band and atop Wall' comprising a xed part disposed above the conveyor band and apart pivoted for ymovement towards .and away from the opposedgwall of the passage,

said .fixed and movable parts normally forming a `substantially continuous wall of the confining passage, and an abutment on the xed part with which the movable part co-operates to determine rthe normal position of the movable part relatively to the fixed part,`said conveyor band being folded to substantially U form 'to provide movable walls in the passage. s

8. In apparatus for forming-a continuous tobacco filler rod,'a rs't.; conveyor band to feed tobacco ina stream,` a smooth conveyor receiving; the tobacco stream from the first lconveyor band and continuing the feedV of the stream at a less linear speed, whereby the stream is compacted'to increase themass thereof to the desired mass, and a conning passage to controlthe Ycross-sectional area of the tobacco at thepoint FLIX FRE'DE'RIC RUAU; 2o 

